


Why is my Parabatai grinding against the High Warlock of Brooklyn?

by Lalelilolu



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Dancing, Fluff, Good Parabatai Jace Wayland, M/M, Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:00:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25915495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lalelilolu/pseuds/Lalelilolu
Summary: Jace and Isabelle follow Alec one night because their brother is clearly hiding something from them.Prompt: "Jace follows Alec to a club and sees him together with Magnus."
Relationships: Alec Lightwood & Isabelle Lightwood, Alec Lightwood & Isabelle Lightwood & Jace Wayland, Alec Lightwood & Jace Wayland, Isabelle Lightwood & Jace Wayland, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 14
Kudos: 310





	Why is my Parabatai grinding against the High Warlock of Brooklyn?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rainbowunicornwhale](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainbowunicornwhale/gifts).



> I am proud to call you my parabatai; you can accomplish anything you want. Congratulations ♥  
> I hope this turned out the way you imagined it.
> 
> Thank you, [AceOnIce](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceOnIce/pseuds/AceOnIce) for making sure no emberassing mistakes were left behind and betaing this for me!

“Please Alec, you promised.” 

“I never promised anything, Izzy.” Alec fixates his sister with a glare.

“Yeah but you lost a bet. Same thing.” Jace is now the one being stabbed to death by Alec’s eyes.

“I don’t care. I will absolutely not go out with you tonight. I have work to do. It is piling up on my desk.” Alec turns around without another word and storms away.

“Can you believe that?” Izzy scoffs.

“Which part? That he doesn’t want to come with us? Yes. That he has a lot of paperwork to do? No.” Jace crosses his arms in front of his chest. “I checked before we asked him. He kept on top of work really well this week. Almost dealing with reports the moment they came in and he sent his last one off to the Clave at least an hour ago.”

“You know what that means, right Jace?”

“Some sniffing around. Let’s do this.”

\--

They don’t need to turn the Institute upside down to find their first lead. It’s fairly easy. All it takes is for Izzy to ‘gain access’ to Alec’s phone calendar. She doesn’t even need to apply any of her technical knowledge. She’d have to have a talk with her brother about why the head of the institute’s password can’t be ‘password’.

Every day is stuffed to the brim with various appointments and reminders for Alec. Where to be, what to do, who to supervise. Today is no exception but Alec’s last entry is for seven pm. It says Pandemonium and has a purple heart next to it.

Izzy grins at Jace. “You think he has a hot date?”

Jayce snorts. “Yeah, sure because Alec - ‘I live for the job and the job alone’ - Lightwood has hot dates.”

“I’m almost one hundred percent sure that’s not his middle name.” Izzy retaliates. “As far as I know, the Pandemonium is a downworlder night club. A hot date is not that far-fetched.” Jace shrugs, Izzy could be right but he knows his parabatai, surely Alec would have mentioned something. If not to him, he would have asked Izzy for fashion advice.

“Maybe it’s a mission for intel.” It’s a downworlder club after all. 

Now it’s Izzy’s turn to snort. “Yeah right, I also always put little hearts next to intel missions.”

“Meliorn.” Jace shoots back.

“Alright, maybe you have a point there but I still think it’s a hot date.” 

Jace grins at her. “Only one way to find out, right? He doesn’t even give us a choice.” 

Izzy’s eyes glimmer mischievously. “Wanna bet?”

\--

It’s five before seven when Izzy and Jace follow their brother through the streets of Brooklyn. It’s dark already. Both are glamoured and have their soundless and night vision runes activated. They don’t want to risk their mission by losing their target, or worse alerting him, under any circumstances. There is money to be won after all.

Alec is dressed unusually well tonight; opting out of his usual mission gear, the worn, plain black shirt and cargo pants. Instead he wears tight black jeans and a silky looking dark button down shirt. Jace swears he’s never seen that one before. Only the holster still attached to his thigh is hinting at his actual profession. If one ignores the deflect rune peeking out from underneath his collar, you could think Alec is a normal mundane.

Izzy is very satisfied with herself when she points out Alec’s get-up. She is pretty sure that she will win that bet.

They follow Alec to the Pandemonium, right up to the entrance and watch the bouncers just waving him through after a few words of pleasant conversation. The werewolf seems to know him already. 

Jace and Izzy try to follow him. They are standing directly in front of the werewolf now. He scoffs at them. “Think you’re too good to wait in line, eh? Typical shadowhunters.”

Not wanting to stir up trouble and risk getting Alec’s attention, they move to the back of the line reluctantly.

“What now?” Jace asks. “We lost him.”

“Now, dear brother, we wait and hope Alec takes longer on his hot date than it takes us to get into the club.”

“You mean he takes longer gathering the intel.”

“Whatever lets you sleep at night.” Jace hates the singsong tone of Izzy’s voice.

\--

It’s a cold night and for once Izzy almost wishes she would have worn something a little longer. That thought only lingers until they are let into the club almost an hour later without any further hassle, thanks to the very outfit she cursed silently moments before.

Jace looks around, his eyes searching for his brother in the flashy lights of the club. It should be easy. Alec’s dark and broody form should tower over everyone else’s. Normally he would take his time to explore the club, it looks like an establishment he’d enjoy under any other circumstances. But despite knowing that Alec is uninjured through their bond, he can’t help but worry. It’s been an hour for Raziel’s sake and they didn’t see Alec coming out of the club. “What now? Can you see him anywhere?”

Jace turns around, looking at Izzy, when she doesn’t answer him. She’s staring at a spot on the elevated part of the club, clearly the VIP area. It is guarded by two additional bouncers. He follows her gaze and has to swallow.

There is his parabatai, dancing seemingly without a worry in the world, in a downworlder nightclub, in the VIP area. Not only that, but he is currently grinding against another man, head thrown back, resting it on the other man’s shoulder. His eyes closed and an utterly relaxed face. 

Jace blinks twice to make sure it’s really Alec that he’s seeing. That he is dancing with another man is only a little bit surprising. He did come out after all. But watching Alec dancing in a club and having fun while doing so is like watching fish living out of the water and not suffocating. Maybe all the sparkle from the other man’s jewellery is playing tricks on his eyes. That man is truly glittery and that not only thanks to the make-up he is wearing.

Jace blinks. This is definitely their brother. He glances at Izzy and her mouth is open too. Her expression switching between wonder, confusion and glee. He’s glad he’s not alone. She returns the look and extends her flat palm towards him. “Pay up, loser.”

Jace shakes his head. “Doesn’t have to be a date, what if he gathers intel that way?”

“Yeah, right and I am the Queen of England. But if you insist, we can always go and ask him.” She rolls her eyes at him.

“After you, your majesty.” Jace bows mockingly in front of her before he sets his eyes back on Alec. His brother is still oblivious to the world and _still_ dancing.

It stings a little bit, Alec never goes dancing with them, and when they manage to drag him out, he’s always sulking in a corner with a cocktail or beer in his hand that takes him the whole night to drink.

Deep in his thoughts he almost misses the way the glittery man moves his hand over Alec’s body and let’s blue flames dance through his fingers before they disappear again. Almost. It’s shocking how Alec relaxes even further and slumps against the man. It terrifies Jace. He has to swallow hard; the fear threatening to spill over their bond, over to Alec. 

That display of magic is concerning at best and very, very, very dangerous at worst. Alec is alone, in the clutches of a warlock, in enemy territory and not acting like himself. And the warlock just used magic on him! Jace nudges Izzy and hisses. “You see that? He has him under some sort of spell. This is not a date. This is a mission gone wrong. We have to get him out.”

Isabell laughs at him. Jace looks at her as if she lost her mind. Why is she not taking this seriously? “You, dear brother, really need to broaden your horizons a little bit. Have you ever been with a warlock? Or seen anyone do magic? That definitely wasn’t a controlling spell, Jace. Way too weak. I would say our dear brother here has the time of his life and that willingly.” 

“I fucking doubt that.” Jace presses through his gritted teeth. He points towards the dancing couple. “That’s not Alec up there Izzy. Can’t you see that he is not himself right now! Look at him. He would never- he is way too afraid to be this - this I don’t know - this not repressed. In public.”

“Tell me, can you feel any kind of discomfort through your bond?”

Jace pauses, concentrating.“No. But he holds it closed. I can’t feel anything right now.”

“I would also shut off that bond on a hot date, just saying. I’m only going along with checking on him for you, so that you won’t annoy me all the way home.” Izzy takes his hand and leads them through the sweating masses of grinding bodies under the flashy lights until they reach the stairs. Getting up there is easier said than done.

They are stopped by a very tall and muscular seelie and a short but lithe vampire. “You can’t go there. Private party,” the seelie grunts. 

Jace is about to open his mouth to give him a piece of his mind. His parabatai is up there; in danger! His sister, bless her quick brain, intervenes.

“Oh is there any way we can join in? We like private parties, right Jace?” She made it look so effortless; with the alluring wink, silly giggle and small smile she sends the seelie. It seems that it gets them closer to entering the VIP area, Izzy is talented like that.

The vampire lets their hope die rather quickly. “Nope. Tonight it’s guestlist only.” 

“The boss proposed to his boyfriend.” The seelie supplies helpfully and nods in the direction of the very warlock still dancing with Alec. They are pressed chest to chest now.

Izzy wishes she could take a picture of Jace’s expression the very moment he realized what that implies. Stumbling over his words and gesturing wildly with his hands he pointed at Alec. “You mean- That warlock and-” an impatient nod from the vampire.

“Yes and his shadowhunter boyfriend. You get used to the sight after a while, even if they get disgustingly sappy. The boss is happy and that means we’re left alone. That all?”

Izzy blinks a few times. That is something she didn’t see coming. Jace still imitates a fish out of water.

“Almost. Can you tell us what your boss’ name is?” She asks with her sweetest voice and a matching smile.

The vampire is annoyed now. “You decide to come to a downworlder club and have the audacity to not even know the owner’s name. Now that is rich, even from shadowhunters like you.” He is angry and starts to ramble. “Tell me, how do you not even know this club is Magnus Bane’s.” He huffs. “You should know who _that_ is, not even you ignorant shadowhunters can go through New York, not knowing who your High Warlock is.” There is a frown on the vampire’s face, but he seems extremely satisfied with himself. He’ll show those ‘holier than thou’ shadowhunters. He hates them, except for Lightwood maybe. At least Alec cares enough to greet everyone and learn their names.

“We know who he is-” Jace begins - he is not _that_ stupid - only to be promptly cut off by Izzy again.

She can’t trust him with those bouncers right now and she is on a mission that must not fail. So she lays it on thick. “Oh yes, who wouldn’t have heard of him? He is one of the most powerful warlocks alive, right? Some say nobody can take him on.” She flutters her eyelashes at the bouncers. “Only the best and strongest fighters would do to guard his private party.” Izzy is almost purring now and obviously eyeing the muscular arms of the seelie, who basks in the attention.

Luckily her idiot brother had caught on by now and manages to nod very enthusiastically next to her.

The vampire crosses his arms in front of his chest. “Nice try, but sugaring us up won’t get you up there. Only friends and family on the list tonight.”

Jackpot.

“We are his siblings.” Jace blurted out.

“Haha, very funny. Magnus Bane does not have any siblings.” The vampire is even less amused now.

“Not his, Alec’s. I am Isabelle Lightwood and this is Jace.” Izzy introduces them.

The vampire’s expression becomes darker and he furrows his brows. “How convenient, and I am supposed to believe that?”

The seelie frowns, too, then suddenly turns towards his colleague and whispers something into his ear. They start to discuss quietly, too quietly for Izzy and Jace to understand without their rune activated. The vampire nods grimly.

The seelie leaves them and makes his way up the stairs to the couple. While Izzy and Jace were occupied with the bouncers, Alec and Bane had moved to a big leather couch right in the center of the platform. Bane sits on it like on a throne. This is his domain. Alec is pressed flush against the warlock’s side, who is currently whispering something in his ear, making Alec blush.

Jace doesn’t know what to make of this entire situation. He watches the seelie approach Bane and Alec, both sending easy smiles towards the guard. It is clear that his parabatai knows the bouncer. He doesn’t even sit up straight like he normally would in the presence of others. Maybe Izzy was right all along and this is a ‘hot date’, maybe even a stable relationship. But a proposal? No, Alec would have told him if he was in a relationship. A relationship so serious that his partner might propose.

He thinks about the last couple of months. Alec does seem more laid back and happy lately, but Jace always assumed that it was because Alec finally came out to their parents and the clave, doing something for himself, finally. Obviously that is not the only reason for the sudden happiness. Because Alec looks at that warlock like he personally hung the stars in the sky and makes the sun rise every day. Jace is happy for him, really, if anyone deserves happiness it’s Alec, but it also hurts. It hurts that he didn’t tell Jace.

He doesn’t have time to linger on those thoughts any longer because the seelie finishes talking to Alec and Bane and points a finger in their direction. It’s almost comical, the way Alec and Magnus’ eyes follow the finger until they see Izzy and him. Their expressions couldn’t be more different from each other. 

Bane looks delighted, claps his hands and laughs, actually laughs, before turning to the red-faced and horrified looking Alec. Alec nods hesitantly to whatever comes out of Bane’s mouth. He looks nervous.

The seelie comes back down to them. “Boss said you could come up.”

Izzy gives the bouncers a last winning smile and a wink before pulling Jace up the stairs and directly steering them towards the couch. It’s a little bit awkward. Him and Izzy just standing there, looking at Alec and his lover? Boyfriend? **_Fiancé_ **? And Alec is staring back, swallowing hard and rubbing his hands on his thighs nervously.

The movement drags Jace’s attention away from Alec’s face and to the shiny silver ring on Alec’s finger.

Oh.

But no, that can’t be. Alec would have said something, if it was that serious. Jace forces himself to look up again.

Bane is the one who saves the situation from becoming even more awkward. With a wave of the arm not currently around Alec’s shoulder, two comfortable looking armchairs appear in front of the couch. He makes haste to greet his guests with a charming smile.

“I see you’ve found your way to my humble lair tonight. I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced yet.” He sends a sideways glance towards Alec, who becomes even redder, his eyes fixating on a point somewhere over Jace’s shoulder. “But family members of Alec are always welcome here.” Bane frowns. “At least from this generation.” The dark expression is gone from his face the second it appears and replaced by a winning smile again. Bane extends his hand. “Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn, what can I do for you two? But first drinks!” Another motion of his arm and Jace is now gripping a very colourful cocktail, identical to the one Izzy is holding.

Alec looks like he wants the ground to swallow him whole. Jace understands that sentiment. “Uhh, hi guys?” It sounds more like a question than anything else. Instead of answering, Jace takes a sip of the cocktail in his hand. It’s really strong, he kind of starts to like this Bane guy.

Izzy answers for them. She’s doing that a lot tonight. Jace is thankful for that, he doesn’t know what to say. What to do with this entire situation. “Interesting paperwork you’re doing here Alec. Not that I am judging, at least you do have good taste.” She eyes Bane appreciatively.

The warlock coughs, a bad attempt to hide his laughter. “Isabelle Lightwood, and this my brother Jace, pleasure to meet you.” Izzy says and shakes the offered hand with a tight grip. “I see you already had the pleasure to meet our brother Alec.” she adds with a dirty glarce to said person, who is still busy imitating a tomato.

“I was going to tell you, I swear.” Alec blurts out after a few painfully long and silent seconds. He is looking down at his hands, which are digging into his thighs. Jace can see the ring clearly now. It’s a simple silver band, relatively plain, without any gems, but it’s wide.

“You definitely would have gotten invitations to the wedding.” Bane swoops in and reaches out to Alec’s hands, which are still digging into his thighs. He takes them in his, intertwining their fingers. Jace notices how Bane’s thumbs rub over the back of Alec’s hands soothingly and he likes this Bane guy now. A little bit. But his newfound fondness doesn’t change that he is hurt, because this man really actually seems to be important to Alec. His fiancé. And Alec didn’t tell them. Didn’t tell _him._

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Jace’s words are barely audible over the beat of the music still playing around them. It’s softer up here, he realizes. At a volume that is comfortable for Alec. He wonders if that is intentional.

Alec grips down hard on Bane’s hands, his knuckles are white; the warlock’s face doesn’t shift. If he’s in pain, he doesn’t show it. 

“It was nothing serious at first.” Alec swallows nervously. “And then when it became serious, I didn’t know how to tell you that I was dating someone. Serious dating. Because you didn’t even know that he existed in the first place.” Alec’s eyes flickered between the three of them nervously while Bane’s fingers continued to circle on the back of Alec’s hands. 

“And before I knew it, we were dating for a month and it would have been even more awkward and then it was two months, and then it was half a year.” Alec fixates the floor now. The blush now creeping down his neck. “And then he just proposed and I swear I would have told you. Soon.” 

Izzy is the first to say anything. “Well, congratulations big brother.” She sounds genuinely happy for them. Then she turns towards Bane and her voice turns icy. She presses a perfectly manicured finger to Bane’s chest. “If you hurt my brother, you will have a problem with me.”

Without further ado she extends a hand towards Jace. “Pay up brother. You lost, this clearly was a hot date and you were wrong.”

Jace stares at her. She is unbelievable! How can she pretend not to care? Fine if she doesn’t want to speak about the elephant in the room, he will play her game. “For all we know he still could be gathering intel. I owe you nothing.” 

“Oh Alexander is gaining a lot of intel out of our ‘hot dates’, right darling?” Bane frees one of his hands and boops Alec on the nose with a clawed finger. Bane’s nails are painted with a dark red colour, there is a ring on almost every finger. Jace spots one ring that matches Alec’s and it sticks out like a sore thumb with plainness from the other, flashier jewelry.

Alec scrunches his nose. “You guys betted on me? You weren’t even supposed to know where I was tonight.” At least his knuckles are back to their normal colour.

Jace scoffed. “You are the worst liar in existence, Alec. Next time at least leave some reports open when you try to pretend you’re busy. Really, such a rookie mistake.” He puts it on thick. Alec deserves it for keeping his boyfriend from them. Well fiancé. “You really should have sneaked out with us more often. And you know, spent time with your very loving and supporting family.” 

Alec has the decency to look sheepish, he smiles at them shyly. “I should have done this a while ago, I know, but better late than never, right? So uhh Jace, Izzy, meet Magnus, my finacé. Magnus, those are my siblings Jace and Izzy.”

Jace can hear how proud and happy Alec sounds when he introduces Magnus to them properly; can feel it, even through the closed bond. Maybe he should go a little easier on him. He shakes Magnus’ hand without hesitation.

They proceed with awkward small talk for a little while longer and it’s clear for anyone with a working pair of eyes how enamored Magnus and Alec are with each other. The way they react to the smallest movements of the other. Jace then realizes, that it’s time for Izzy and him to go home. They have overstayed their welcome alone by coming here.

Alec shows them out and hugs them. First Izzy, then Jace.

“Are we good?” he mumbles into Jace’s ear.

“Yeah we are good.” Jace whispers back. Alec’s dazzling smile at those words would have been blinding if Jace didn’t have had the entire evening to get used to it.

\--

The next week is boring compared to the excitement in Pandemonium that night. Izzy and Jace make a game out of spotting Alec whenever the older shadowhunter smiles at thin air. It’s disgusting how happy Alec is. It’s a miracle that no one sees the ring glinting at Alec’s finger, he never takes it off, but not a single shadowhunter at the institute ever mentions anything.

Boredom is a thing of the past when Maryse comes by on a surprise visit. After greeting her children she instantly singles out the ring on Alec’s finger. She gasps very audibly and the attention of every shadowhunter in the room is on her. That’s probably what she wants anyway. “Alec! Is that? Are you engaged? Oh my dear boy, why didn’t you tell us, we were afraid we had to search a suitable bride for you.” Jace scoffs; their parents still haven’t come to terms with Alec’s sexuality it seems. They are in for a rude awakening.

Alec swallows and Jace revels in the panic he feels spilling over through their bond. Forgiven is not forgotten. He exchanges a glance with Izzy, who is just as interested as him to see how all of this will unravel.

“Why don’t we move this to the office, mother.” Alec says. The smile he sends her looks a little too forced to be genuine. “I’ll tell you all about my fiancé there.” He might be the one to offer the arm to Maryse and guide her away but Jace thinks he resembles a lamb being led to slaughter. 

“Do you think we should help him?” Izzy askes. She is worried for Alec. Jace is, too. He will always stand behind his parabatai, no matter what, especially with this. He saw first hand how good Magnus is for Alec. 

Jace grins at her. “Nah, he didn’t need us when we didn’t know; he can handle this himself now, too.” He sits down and pats the chair next to him. “Now we wait.”

“ALEXANDER GIDEON LIGHTWOOD!” 

They exchange worried glances, maybe they should check in on their brother.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment. Critique is always welcome!


End file.
